Associate Director, Procurement Operations - Worcester State University

About Worcester State University:
WORCESTER STATE UNIVERSITY is a liberal arts and sciences university with a long tradition of academic excellence dating back to 1874, as well as an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks to reflect the diversity of its community. Our workforce is dedicated to academic quality, student-centered programming, engaged citizenship, open exchanges of ideas, diversity and inclusiveness, and civility and integrity. We are looking for job applicants who share these values and commitment to our students.

Worcester State is centrally located in Massachusetts, about an hour's drive from Boston, Springfield, and Providence, Rhode Island. Our 58-acre campus is nestled in the residential northwest side of Worcester--the second largest city in New England and home to 37,000 college students at more than a dozen colleges and universities.

Over 6,000 of those students attend Worcester State--approximately 5,300 are undergraduates and 1,000 are graduate students. Learn more about us at worcester.edu/about .

Job Description:
OFFICIAL TITLE: Associate Director, Procurement Operations
SUPERVISION RECEIVED: CPO | ED of Supply Chain & Business Services
SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Subordinate classified and professional staff

General Statement of Duties: The Associate Director assists the Director, Executive Director, CPO, or other higher-level administrator in managing the University's Procure to Pay Operations (P2P). Oversees the daily transactional system flow and end-to-end processes from requisition to payment.

P2P exists within the larger procurement management process. It involves key stages visible to all stakeholders: selecting goods and services, receiving and reconciling, supplier management, invoicing, and payment, and enforcing compliance. Assists senior management with optimizing systems to establish and monitor the P2P operation beyond a functional process to a full design that delivers consistent value through timely service to the University's constituents and related stakeholders.

Has primary responsibility for the university's purchasing and sourcing of supplies, materials, equipment, and contractual services used by the university consistent with University policies and state and federal regulations. The incumbent has oversight of our travel and expense process. The incumbent will be instrumental in enhancing the financial workflow of the organization by refining and sustaining a streamlined Procure to Pay operations process.

Responsibilities:

(E) = Essential

(E) Leads the P2P ensuring process integration for purchasing and accounts payable systems to create greater efficiencies. (E) Acts as deputy director and point of contact in the Director's or other higher-level administrator absence and provides support to the day-to-day supervision of the department. (E) Works collaboratively with the Payment Operations and Contract Manager to ensure that purchase orders are paid on time and that contracts are billed and administered in accordance with University's terms, policies, state and federal regulations. (E) Diagnose, document, and resolve complex P2P issues from a functional, administrative and operational perspective. (E) Acts as the P2P Subject Matter Expert (SME) with focus on Process improvement along with industry knowledge, and applications in the following focus areas: (E) Sourcing, Procurement, Account Payable, Travel and Reimbursement Expenses and financial systems optimization (E) Participates in departments projects with focus on P2P involving strategy, support, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) optimization related to Information Technology (IT) operations, business processes, security, and data integrity for the Colleague applications. (E) Review business and P2P processes and advise the department on system services available within the Ellucian Colleague and related systems to improve service delivery across the university. (E) Performs business analysis and composes clear, comprehensive functional requirements. (E) Identify and communicate P2P system bottlenecks and findings to senior management. (E) Provides general supervision to the Purchasing, Travel and Reimbursement Administrator role to ensure compliance with all procurement regulations. (E) Assist senior management in creating an organizational infrastructure and develop the team to meet the needs of the Procure to Pay transformation. (E) Responsible for leading the RFI, RFQ, RFP and BID process as it may be applicable to assist internal departments in sourcing and purchasing services, including developing specifications and scope of services while ensuring best value procurements in compliance with applicable laws, guidelines, and prime contract terms. (E) Manages vendor negotiations, consistent with Commonwealth of Massachusetts laws, rules, and regulations, seeking the most favorable price consistent with university standards for quality, quantity, and specifications. (E) Leads, supports and collaborates in interpreting vendor agreements and enforcing contract requirements. (E) Liaises and coordinates with the Contract Manager in drafting contracts and amendments. (E) Assists, manages and or prepares and issues solicitation documents and public notices in accordance with applicable state and federal regulations and guidelines from the Inspector General Office. (E) Assists, coordinates and facilitates pre-bid meetings and proposal evaluation meetings. Receive and evaluate proposals and bids; Prepares solicitation award recommendations (E) Assist in the preparation of documents and information for audits and public records requests. (E) Proposes processes, policies and procedure changes as part of continuous improvement efforts working toward operational excellence. (E) Develops and maintains positive, professional working relationships with internal and external constituents including but not limited to faculty and staff, vendors, Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, State Comptroller, Operational Services Division, COMMBUYS, and MHEC. (E) Supervises Purchasing and Sourcing staff as needed. (E) Provide training to office staff and campus community. (E) Exercise discretionary judgment about special circumstances and problem resolution in consultation with senior management. (E) Supervises and or manages IT/ITI Processing (internal back charge transactions from State Comptroller) (E) Process MMARS Encumbrances and authorizes Purchase Orders in Colleague. (E) Manages WSU Toll Transponders (E) Responsible for Fiscal Year end system close and collaborates with Fiscal Affairs to meet goals. (E) Assist in the creation and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs) for the end-to-end procurement function. (E) Fosters and maintains positive relationships and works collaboratively with colleagues, faculty, staff, students, and vendors. (E) Responsible for contributing to the WSU Strategic Plan. (E) Responsible for contributing to Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action objectives. Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements:
Required Qualifications:

A minimum of 6 years of professional experience in procurement, strategic sourcing or contract management and or related systems operations. At least 3 years of experience as a supervisor.

Ability to acquire and maintain a Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) designation. Knowledge of the Contract Management Cycle. Strong time management and research and organizational skills, solid deductive reasoning and quantitative analysis skills.

Coachable, highly motivated, self-starter, proactive and dynamic attitude. Proficiency with Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Docs, Sheets. Ability to set clear goals, establish Standard Operating Procedures and effectively communicate them with procurement and accounts payable staff.

Excellent customer service Strong leadership skills. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in business administration, Procurement, Supply Chain or similar field. Systems and process mapping experience.

Ellucian Colleague SME, overseeing implementations of software applications requiring ERP integration. Experience in a higher education and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Accounting Systems (MMARS). Experience with State M.G.L. and Federal regulations guiding procurement practices or other regulatory compliance environment. Experience with Ellucian Colleague. Active Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) designation.

Additional Information:
This is a full-time, benefited, exempt, professional APA position. The firm annual salary range for this position is $90,000- $95,000, commensurate with relevant professional experience and education.

Here at Worcester State University, it is strongly recommended that all employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they begin employment.

Worcester State University offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

a choice of 8 different pre-taxed, health insurance plan options a choice of pension or 401(a), and supplemental plan retirement options life insurance up to 8x the annual salary long-term disability coverage dental insurance 20 vacation days accrued per year 15 sick days accrued per year 5 personal days per year paid holidays tuition remission for self, spouse, and dependent children and more...

We are an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. M/F/D/V. Members of traditionally underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application Instructions:
Applicants must apply online and may do so by visiting www.worcester.edu/careers, and submitting a cover letter, resume, and the contact information of three professional references.

For assistance with uploading materials, log a ticket via the HelpDesk link, or contact us directly at 508-929-8053.

URL: www.worcester.edu